HAWK
by Meister Fallon
Summary: Ravenwood isn't the only prestigious school in the Spiral. Here at Hawkrider's, the classes are grueling, the training is brutal, and you stand to lose everything if you fail; your career, your magic, even your life. Yet the rewards can be even greater than the risks, and it's up to one of H.A.W.K's newest students to decide which path is the right one for her to follow.
1. Prologue

**Welcome to another story by moi, Meister Fallon :3 You'll be hearing the word Meister more often here, because this story has been inspired both by the Hawkrider's Bundle and one of my favorite animes, My Otome. Things won't be exactly the same though, so even though it's rated K+ right now, it's likely to change in the future as we get into battles and whatnot. But we're okay for now ;)**

HAWK Prologue

"_Please_ tell me this is the book we've been looking for…"

"Yes, it's the one. I _finally_ found it on a spare cart upstairs."

"Wow! These pictures are amazing!"

"SHHHH!" Two voices hissed in unison.

A flock of pigeons spread their wings and fluttered from their perches as early morning sunlight sparkled through the elegant golden dome of the library, shining clearly on a trio of young students huddling their heads together over an ancient, leather bound book.

"There's a lot more to this story than I thought." A girl with wide, kind eyes murmured as she surveyed the fading colored ink. Several hand-drawn pictures depicted variations of the legendary birds battling it out over the massive golden city at dusk, the wizards and witches riding them clashing with sword, armor, and fists.

"Here, take notes." The other girl whispered, tucking a strand of light blonde hair behind her ear as she eyed the short figure of a new Ravenwood student as she passed. "We can't look too suspicious."

Hastily, the first girl with the flaming red hair and the only boy picked up ther quills and shoved the book under the pile of others as more people began to file past.

_Did it say that the three Jewels disappeared? I couldn't get a good look at it. _The boy whispered to the blonde, almost as if by telepathy.

_Yes, and so did the Riders. They also couldn't find those other giant birds that were guarding them either. But the legend says that they're still alive out there somewhere, guarding over them in the toughest dungeons._

He quickly glanced around, checking tat nobody was around before saying, "What do you think? Do we have a chance?"

"We _do_ have those strange readings…" The redhead muttered to herself.

"We know the other Jewels exist too…heck, they were showcased just last week! The last three really must exist…" The boy whispered.

"And we're going to find them." The blonde nodded resolutely. "Others may not have been able to search successfully for them, but we have a few things they didn't…"

"Oooh, I can't wait! Which one do you think would match with green, the Su-"

"We're not here to talk about fashion advice!" The other girl snapped, pulling out a sleek, black laptop with intricate icy blue, leafy green, and smoky gray symbols intertwining with one another in the corner and started typing out a Wizmail letter.

"Nice cursor you got there." The boy snickered as he eyed the dancing Snowman arrow as it clicked "send."

"Shut up."

Half an hour later, a ding announced the arrival of a reply.

"Ah, here we go…"

"We've got the go-ahead?" The redhead asked as the other two crowded around the screen.

"Sure do! The boss said we can utilize any resources necessary from anyone in the Undercover Division." The second girl replied, a devilish grin crossing her face as her eyes traveled down the letter before deleting the conversation. She then stowed her laptop away in her backpack and rapped the cover of the old book with her wand, hiding under the stack of textbooks in her arms to take to the checkout counter. The three approached Harold Argleston, the Head Librarian, who was yawning instructions over his mug to a sleepy looking Boris.

"Morning Miss Everhart…will you be buying these or just checking out?" He yawned, placing his mug of steaming coffee onto a coaster as he scanned the books.

"Yes, I'm going to study abroad soon, so these would be very helpful." She replied, forcing a kinder smile on her face.

"_Traps and Transformations of Marleybone_…_The Caliburn Times_…_The Dragon Riders Tales_…and…_The Magic of Storm, Magus grade?_" He looked at the enchanted book with a raised eyebrow, now showing a deep purple cover with intricate yellow writing instead of the dark brown.

"Yeah, you'd be surprised how many of those books I go through, especially when you're sharing a dorm with someone who has five Stormzillas." The blonde laughed.

"Sounds terrible. Have you tried Shadowcloud's new pet training course? I've heard it cured many pets with chewing problems." Harold said as he packed the books away in a paper bag.

"Not yet. I'll have to check it out later, pass on the message to her." She said, tucking the bag under her arm as she passed her two friends with hardly a glance towards them. "Thanks for the help!"

She waved and walked up the short flight of stairs to the outside, her tread carefully measured so she wouldn't look too hurried. Her two friends soon joined up with her as she emerged into the bright, cheery Commons of Wizard City.

"Man, Boris is really letting himself go. Didn't even look at the meter going off next to him." The boy sniggered.

"I hope you cleared it anyway. You know Argleston isn't like that." She raised an eyebrow accusingly at him.

"Chill out, of course I did. Wasn't exactly hard with him yawning so much." He replied lazily as the traversed through the Shopping District and into Old Town. The trio soon made their way through the sloping hills and sheer ledges of the edge of the town, where the largest teleporting station brought them to the largest, and most grand, airship station in all of Wizard City, Sapphyra's Grand Station, the airport named in honor of the great Rider Sapphyra who died almost a century ago. The three of them flashed their tickets at the Ticketmaster, then made their way up the escalators to the highest floor, where only the rich or famous could afford a luxuriant trip around the Spiral.

The redhead finally came to a stop and leaned against an empty newspaper stand, fanning herself with one she snatched from an iron stand nearby while the other two waited in exasperation for her.

"Can we take off these disguises now? I'm sure we're safe here." She panted, rubbing off a faint rime of sweat with her green sleeve.

"Fine fine. Let's just hurry up before we miss our flight." The blonde grumbled, except she wasn't light haired anymore. She had yanked off her wig and tossed it casually over the rail into the open sea of pearly white clouds, and her two cohorts quickly followed suit and hid behind a column to change into their black uniforms, which were hidden under their clothes. The three quickly tossed them after the wigs and hurried to one of the airships that were about to take off, a relatively small one compared to the others, but the most luxurious on the whole deck, with pale cream walls covered in artwork from nearly all the various worlds, as well as plush cushions, a whole sofa attached to the floor with belt buckles for safety, a wide projection screen showing the latest news and reports, even a mini kitchenette with another servant preparing something that bubbled lazily in a shiny copper pot.

"Where will you be heading today ma'am?" The Marleybonian pilot asked as the former blonde took her place in her favorite windowseat, leaving her two friends to order their drinks and snacks while she gazed out the crystal clear glass.

"Rosewind City." She smiled coldly.


	2. Chapter 1-Initiation

HAWK Chapter One

Initiation

One Year Later…

"Passengers, we are now approaching Rosewind City, please remember to take all your luggage with you and stay close to small children. Your luggage will be arriving shortly in Baggage Claim C. Thank you for flying with Rosewind National." Came the smooth male voice over the intercom. The passengers quiet voices quickly escalated in excitement as several of the children darted forward to press their faces against the wide window, gasping in awe at the sight of the approaching airship station. A minute later there was a slight bump as the large blimp finally docked into port, a green light ringing throughout the room from the tv screens that showed a "Have a nice day!" message. The passengers quickly collected their scattered belongings in their carry-ons, and held their children's hands as they left for Petalbloom Station.

"Excuse me!" One girl in particular apologized as she edged past a group of gentlemen lounging near the Security checkpoint. They waved her away merrily and without a second thought. She walked down to the escalators with a friendly wave at them, then paused to stick her tongue out at them and made a face when they weren't looking.

"Hmpf. Stiffs. I hope everybody isn't like that here." She grumbled to herself. Her brown and white beast chirped a little and crawled out of her backpack and onto her shoulder as she let out a quiet gasp, all nastiness forgotten at the sight that lay before her.

Morning sunlight glittered on the row of crystal chandeliers hanging between the two massive skylights of Petalbloom's main atrium, illuminating the gold and white floral designed wallpaper and lancing off the sparkling gold fountain in the middle of the room. The sounds of many heels, paws, and even hooves clicked against the white tiled floor. Desks, counters, and steel arches blocked off the crowd of incoming passengers from the rest of the floor, which was filled with people in all shapes, sizes, colors, even species as they went about their daily business. The girl eagerly bounded down the last few moving steps and hurried through Security, pausing to pull out a small necklace from under her shirt and flicking the locket door open.

_I've still got an hour. _She thought as she checked the time.

"You hungry Sandy?" She asked the Desert beast at her shoulder. Sandy let out an excited mew and rubbed against her hand. "Okay, let's eat before we go." She walked into the nearest restaurant down the wide hallway, Ice Queen, for lunch. Nearly forty-five minutes later, she emerged after tossing her fancy frozen yogurt cup away and made her way through the throng to the underground train station, but something made her pause. She gazed towards the elegantly carved metal fountain in the middle of the atrium, where golden coins and shiny green crowns sat in the first two fountain levels. At the top sat three magnificent birds, their wings stretched wide as if they were going to leap through the ceiling. Her eyes seemed particularly drawn to the one on the right, which was placed lower than the other two, but seemed even longer as if to prove it was of equal importance. Her eyes raked over the long feathers and sharp beak, almost as if it was someone she knew but had almost forgotten.

_Don't tell me…are they here too? _A shove from behind broke her out of her reverie, almost pushing her into the clear water. In an instant she whirled around to snap at whoever bumped into her.

"_Excuse_ you!" She snarled, but the person was already gone. She turned on the spot, trying to seek out the rude imbecile, but there was no one there who looked like they were in that much of a hurry. The girl huffed a sigh and straightened out her black and purple cloak stitched with red and gold designs weaved with the magic of Balance, a _generous _gift from a creature known as Youkai, and marched over to the elevators.

Petalbloom's underground train station wasn't as bright as the airship port above, but every bit of it showed the grandeur and quiet luxury as the port above; from the warm, red brick walls decorated with notice boards and posters, to the elegant steel and iron arches holding up the roof, which had black and pale gold wallpaper decorating every inch of it, the glowing floral designs weaving their way around one another as if the ceiling had live snakes painted on it, to the stunningly colored trains waiting patiently for their passengers to board.

"Fallon Star?" The Ticketmaster asked as she flashed her ticket to him.

"That's me." Fallon nodded. He nodded back and let her pass to board a dark brown and black train nearby, a simple but lovely one quickly filling up with teens around her age after their parents saw them off. She filed in after a group of giggling girls and turned right to head down the train, towards the more economic styled cars. Even so, everything and nearly everyone here gave off the distinct feel of luxury, something that seemed to be abundant in this world. Red and gold wallpaper lined the walls as enclosed wall lamps provided light for the people edging past one another to their compartments, their footsteps muffled by a thick dark red and brown carpet.

"Phew, finally." She sighed as she darted into the nearest door. She turned to plop down onto the red cushioned seat, but almost immediately sprang up again with a cry as a hissing sound came from the two black and white cats already occupying the seat, who pawed at the back of her legs.

"Oooh! Sorry, I didn't realize this compartment was full." Fallon gasped, stepping back towards the sliding door. Several girls that were already seated turned towards her, their laughter fading away as if they just finished a good joke.

"Oh, it's all right, there's room in here." A blonde waved her apology away while picking up one of the cats. The other meowed morosely and slunk to the lap of a snowy haired girl.

"Thanks, it was getting pretty crowded out there." Fallon said as she stuffed her carriage and bags into the overhead compartment.

"I'm Fallon, Fallon Star." She introduced herself. "And this is Sandy." She added as the Desert beast gave a chirp and raised a paw to the black cats.

"I'm Jazz, and this is my sister Amber." The blonde replied. "And this is Cheyenne and Dorothy."

"_The_ Dorothy Gale?" Fallon grinned at the mousy brown haired teen sitting next to the window. "The same one who single-handedly defeated the Wicked Witch of West Wizard City?"

"That's me." She blushed at the same time Jazz commented. "Try saying _that_ five times fast."

"Well, what do you expect from HAWK's best student?" Cheyenne laughed lightly.

"Speaking of Hawkrider's, why don't you have your Gem yet?" Jazz asked, leaning forward as she pointed out the midnight black choker necklace on Fallon's neck. It was completely black except for an empty gold pink sewn into the fabric, holding a single black and dark purple sable feather in place by the pointed tip so the rest of the feather waved freely.

"Dunno." Fallon shrugged. "I waited and waited, but even though my Swiftshadow wings went through the Standard Strengthening Tests, I still haven't received that Gem yet."

"Did you write?" Amber asked as she scratched the ears of the black cat with a single white spot on its chest.

"Yeah, a lot. And I still haven't got an answer yet." She sighed, leaning her head into the palm of her hand as the train gave a jolt and began to inch forward. The five of them blinked in surprise as the train picked up speed and emerged from the station into hot, bright sunlight, chugging steadily up one of the gentlest slopes in the city.

"So what kind of Gem do I get?" Fallon asked several minutes later as the train passed by gigantic skyscrapers on the city's train tracks.

"You mean you don't know the classifications yet?" Jazz asked, her biscuit halfway to her mouth.

Fallon shook her head. "The information was supposed to come with the package, but since I never got it, I've never had the chance to learn about them."

"Well, since you're just starting out like me and Jazz, you'll be in the Quartz class, our equivalent of freshman year." Amber explained, pointing to the cloudy white stone set in her white choker. "Then there's the Agate class, our sophomore year like Cheyenne is in-" She motioned towards the bright green gem that stood out among her pine green necklace. "Then there's our final year, Turquoise, like Dorothy has. If you graduate, you'll become a Meister and receive a Meister Gem."

"Oooh, don't forget there's more than one you know. Your Avian gets one the same as yours too." Jazz chimed in, her hand brushing against the brown feather attached to her dark red choker. At once, everybody perked up slightly the moment the word left her lips, a new fervor in their eyes.

"I've never seen yours before, which one did you bond with?" Cheyenne asked her.

"Sienna. She's my Red-Tailed Hawk." Jasmine said proudly, then laughed a little as a smoky gray and white bird flew down from the baggage compartment. "And this is Ashlyn, my Familiar." The rest of the girls soon went into full swing discussing their Avians they bonded with over the previous spring and summer, something every student had to do in order to be accepted into Hawkrider's.

"So who's your Avian?" Amber asked Fallon as the train finally left the city and slid into wide, open farmland.

"Sable. She's a…well…" Fallon blushed slightly as she trailed off, staring out the door's window as if it were the most fascinating thing in the world. Just as she did, a woman in a brown and gold uniform knocked and entered, informing them that the lunch compartment was now offering snacks.

"You have a Raven, don't you?" Amber said quietly as they packed up their Familiars and left for the next car.

"Yeah." Fallon confirmed a minute or two later as she picked out several packages of cakes and chocolate bars. She didn't seem to notice what she was picking up.

"That might be why you haven't gotten your Gem yet." She said sadly. "Ever since the Ravens attacked over a thousand years ago, people have been afraid of them being admitted to H.A.W.K, they have to undergo stricter testing. Now nearly everybody on the Student Commissioners Board is afraid every Raven Rider will go bad like they did."

"Sounds like you know what that's about." Fallon remarked as they took a padded bench near the wide window.

"Like what?"

"Being so different that people become afraid of you, try to avoid you…"

"Well…sometimes…being a Necromanceress can be tough ever since…" Amber nodded, her voice trailing away. Fallon seemed to understand, so she dropped the subject to point out her Fairy Cake was flying away, the tension breaking like a fragile wine glass as she laughed while Amber chased after her snack.

The sun ambled it's way across the sky as the train moved on from the suburbs, meandering through rolling green hills topped with leafy trees, then snaking its way above rocky soil that gradually grew more mountainous with every passing glance out the window. Soon, the girls could feel their ears popping faintly as the train wound its way between the highest mountains of Rivolus.

"Man, I'm starving." Jazz moaned as she rubbed her belly a few hours since their last snack.

"Don't worry, we eat lunch at the school whenever we want, at least for today. I've heard it's really good there, an all-you-can-eat buffet every day." Dorothy reassured her. If she meant to stop her stomach from rumbling, she failed spectacularly. Now Jazz was rambling about the kinds of food they might have for the rest of the trip.

Finally, around three in the afternoon, the train came to a halt outside the gold and brown brick station on the widest mountain ledge, the only one closest to the bottom.

"Phew, I thought I'd die of cramps in there!" Fallon said as she stretched out her arms, placing her suitcase on the ground. Amber, Jazz, and Cheyenne milled around with her on the platform while Dorothy waved a goodbye, saying she was needed to lead one of the groups of classwomen as they trekked their way up the smooth stone path into the mountainous forest.

"Wow, this place is beautiful." Fallon remarked appreciatively as they trekked through the mountain in their group. Leafy and coniferous trees spilled over every rocky outcrop and sloping hills of the mountain, the shortage of bushy undergrowth gave the impression of a cool, shady forest deep in the wilderness, yet just a few more feet up the trail and the groups burst from the woods to see a high, clear mountaintop of dark rock and scrubby bushes, with very few trees. Nestled on the slopes was a sprawling stone castle, parts of it a stony gray that steadily turned a dark brick red the higher the castle climbed up the rocks. An open, wide bridge covered in ivy tresses and bramble vines led the way into the school over a small gap winding its way through the valley, the raging river below it quieting down as it wound its way around the rocks under the school. An older woman with iron gray hair and steely sharp eyes waited beneath the stone arch inscribed with some kind of seal on it.

"Welcome, welcome." She said as the group of women settled down. "Welcome students to Hawkrider's Academy for Wizarding Kind. I am Professor Abigail Steelheart. To our old students, we're glad to see you back, to our newer students, we're proud to accept you. Only the best of the best could have made it this far." For a moment, her hard exterior diminished as she swept over the crowd with her gaze, clasping her hands behind her back before pacing left and right. "However, things will only get harder from here on out. Our training is among the hardest to cope with in the Spiral, rivaling only with Dragonspyre Academy's, and our coursework will be…difficult at best. But if you study hard and persevere, you'll graduate a stronger wizard or witch than ever. For today, feel free to explore the school at your leisure. Class schedules will be handed out before dinner."

The girls filed past eagerly and spread out over the bridge, to where the wide oak doors opened by themselves to allow them in. Fallon was about to follow them in when she felt a shudder pass up her spine, slowing her down as she passed Professor Steelheart who, true to her name, gave her a menacing side glance and crossed her arms. She shivered a little and almost ran up the few steps into the entrance hall, bewildered to the point where she almost forgot to be properly awed by the magnificence of the school.

"There you are!" Jazz called from one of the dark gold plinths at the foot of a wide staircase, her hurried footsteps muffled by the thick, rich red carpet that lay on the white marble floor.

"Sorry, got held up." Fallon replied, taking a few steps before turning back to the hall. "Wow…"

A large, glorious statue of a single Hawkrider and her Avian about to take off in flight dominated the middle of the room, where light shone on it at just the right angle through the clear crystal glass dome high above. Her ice blue eyes widened as she gazed at the red banners hanging from the walls, each bearing the crest of Hawkrider's in golden silk, at the myriad of paintings hanging in the quieter corridors, at the sheer size and splendor of it all. Hallways seemed to branch off in every direction, filled with boys who now mingled with the girls, pets and Familiars in all shapes and sizes, and the occasional _bang! _as someone's wand or potion bottle went off accidentally.

"Girls dormitories are up this way! The lunchroom, the staff meeting room, and the student meeting room is down the main hallway, you can't miss'em. And you'll find maps of the school in your dorms, so I won't have to spend _every_ moment explaining things." Dorothy called from the second floor, waving her arm to draw the girls' attention.

"We bunk up in this part of the castle." She said as she led a gaggle of girls to the sixth floor, to a wide corner hallway with a couple of doors that led into the square-like room of the girls dorms. Two boys were passing by the group, grinning devilishly at each other before waving and saying "Hi ladies." together as they passed, sending most of the girls into fits of mad giggles.

"Ignore them, they're just idiots." Cheyenne said as she rolled her eyes.

"I think I'm going to get used to this." Jazz said as she plopped into a nearby padded chair in front of the roaring fireplace. Tapestries and lamps hung around the brick walls while two arched stairwells led to the tower above, where the girls slept.

"Looks like we're sharing rooms together." said Amber as they found their dorm number with the list of four names and pushed the heavy wooden door open.

Most of the large, apartment like room was bare with plain wooden floors and marble walls, with the standard red and gold covers on one of the two beds available, where another teen about their age was smoothing her own bedspread on hers raised slightly on the other side of the room, next to a dark wooden door that led to the only walk-in closet and windowseat.

"Hey, I wanted the closet!" Jazz grumbled as she looked around for her part of the room, but there was only one more bed, and Amber had already claimed it.

"Oh well, you snooze, you lose." The girl said, flicking a strand of pale pink hair from her face. "Guess you're the new roomies?"

Fallon nodded. "I'm Fallon and this is-"

"Yeah yeah, I've read the names already, you can tell me the details later." She waved away her response as she fluffed up her pillows. "Name's Isabella Moon, but unless you want a sock in your mouth call me Izzy."

"Uhh, right…" Jazz said, looking a little downcast.

"Hey, there's room for you in the next room up here." Fallon said, patting her shoulder before opening the next door and leading her up a small flight of steps, where Jasmine actually stopped and wondered if she had stepped through a teleporter into the training dojos of Mooshu. Tatami flooring and wallpaper covered the marble underneath it, where traditional Mooshian paintings and spears hung around the room, and above two green futon beds on either end of the dorm.

"Hey Fallon!" An older woman with auburn hair and gray coveralls greeted her, placing a box down on the jade table near the window and wiping her forehead with her sleeve. "Just got the last box here, so you're just in time."

"Thanks a lot Janice, this really helped." Fallon said as she shook her hand before showing her to the door.

"You…decorated that fast?" Jazz said in disbelief.

"Well, yeah, most of the stuff here is from the cottage I was living in before I moved here. I had some leftover crowns from the enrollment fee, so why not?" Fallon replied as she set her suitcase next to the steamer trunk by her bed. "Hope you don't mind sleeping on futons, though."

"Sure, no problem." Jazz said absentmindedly as she sat on the extra bed, digging around in her own bag to place a few homely things on the nightstand next to her.

"Wow, don't tell me you have _two_ Familiars." She said several minutes later after Fallon had coaxed a rumpled tan and white creature with brown tabby markings. The elderly Mythic Beast merely yawned and kneaded the futon covers with little white paws before curling up for a catnap, tucking her short wings around her head.

"Nah, she's just a pet, her name's Tigra. A very _old_ one mind you, so please be careful with her."

"She's awfully soft for a Beast her age." Jazz remarked as she patted Tigra's head. "You've really taken good care of her."

"Thanks, but I hardly do anything nowadays, it was Mom who owned her." Fallon replied, her eyes turning dark and saddened all of the sudden.

"What?" Jazz asked.

"It's nothing." Fallon shook her head, clearing them of the old memories that were dredged up. She smiled a little as Jasmine's stomach gave another rumble. "Let's hurry up and eat lunch before your stomach decides to eat itself."

The golden haired girl laughed and followed her new friend out the door, but her emerald green eyes hadn't missed a thing, and Fallon knew it. It was perhaps the mark of their newfound friendship that Jasmine didn't press the issue further, and allowed herself to be pulled from the dorm by Fallon's hand.

Hours later, after lunch had been served and the new students allowed to roam, the soft orange light of sunset fell upon the oval Arena as its stands filled up remarkably quickly, excitement tingling the air in anticipation of the main event. Students walked through the cement path as the lampposts along them flickered to life, drawing moths to their light while massive wings beat every now and then further up the mountainside as the birds sensed the distinct aroma of something exciting about to unfold from their Riders, often nipping one another from nerves as they shifted around on their perches.

"This is so exciting!" Jazz squealed as she, her sister, Fallon, and their roommate Izzy filed into their seats near the back, uncomfortable ones, but they had the best view of all.

"I know, I've always wanted to see a real Aerial Battle!" Amber agreed, her own light blue eyes widening as she leaned forward in her seat. A sudden hush came over the stadium as a woman, one of the professors, came to the stand in the middle of the Arena field, her face hidden by the dark hood she wore.

"Welcome students, to our famous Aerial Arena!" She announced, her melodious voice ringing throughout the stands and causing everyone to cheer and clap. "In keeping with the old traditions set down by the first Headmistress, the legendary Winona Roseflight, we mark the start of the new school year with an Aerial battle between two of our top students. This year's selection is none other than Jeremy Firecatcher-" She gestured with her right hand to the boy in red and black robes perched on one of the many marble pillars placed throughout the field. She could barely keep the exasperation out of her voice after he waved and blew a kiss to a crowd of girls who promptly went wild, several of them even fainting. "-and Kevin Icecatcher."

Another wild round of applause. The two boys both said something to each other before shifting forward and bracing themselves, as if they were to leap off the pillars they stood on. Quick as a flash, the two of them darted at each other as soon as the buzzer went off, seemingly hovering in midair for only a moment as their swords clashed together. But they didn't seem particularly worried as they fell, merely twisting their bodies around as streaks of bright red and blue swooped under them and carried them away; their Avians. Each rode a Fire and Ice bird respective to their schools, birds that, unlike the smaller, domesticated school birds, were wilder, larger, and closely resembled falcons with feathers of burning flames, or of cold frostiness. Cheers and screams rang out through the arena as the two continued to fight high above, the sound of their swords clashing together only rivaled by the screeches of their Avians as they took slashes and swipes as the flew by. But their swipes were nothing harmful, for each wore armor that protected their chests and heads.

A particularly exciting moment happened in the battle, a moment where Jeremy had actually dodged a blow from his brother by leaping off his bird and using the momentum to run along the side of the wall, jumping back into the saddle as Kevin blew by before he could fall. The crowd "ooohed" and gasped as his agility as he leaped into the saddle and wheeled around for another attack. It was when this occurred that someone with a sharp, clear voice called "Fallon Star?" close to her.

She turned around slowly to see Professor Steelheart standing behind her, her arms crossed and a serious look on her face. She nodded mutely and inched her way back along the row to follow the Professor out of the stadium.

"I _told_ you already, I haven't gotten any packages with the Gem!" Fallon said in an exasperated tone half an hour later. "I don't know who's in charge of sending those things, but whoever did did an awfully crappy job."

"For your future information, _I _am in charge of sending the student Gems." Steelheart snapped, but Fallon was hardly abashed by her abrasive tone. "Your Gem took awhile longer to make, and as such, was sent later than usual. Had you waited a little longer at home, you would have received it."

"Except I had to be here at the start of the semester, you know! Seems awfully convenient that in order to fully bond me with my Avian I'd have to miss half a semester because of your stupid rules!" Fallon replied harshly, narrowing her eyes.

The Balance Professor scowled in anger and stood up suddenly, bringing her fists down onto her desk.

"The fact that you would even say such things shows how much you have to learn Miss Star." She said coldly. "I can't send you away since you're already here, but without a Gem, you are hereby suspended from Aerial Battle training, and if it were up to me, you'd be in detention every day for the rest of this semester for such outrageous accusations. Until then, you'll have to spend your free time cleaning out the Avian nests."

The two Sorceresses glared at each other for several long heartbeats more, each trying to out glare the other, but Steelheart was true to her name and sure enough, Fallon had dropped her gaze in angry defeat and stomped out the door without another word.

"Cat got your tongue?" A voice teased, causing Fallon to jump slightly from her perch on the banister. School had started, and nearly all the students were out in the open air, practicing battle moves and learning how to Ride. But not Fallon. She couldn't participate in Riding activities, but that didn't mean she would clean out the Avian's Nest.

_If she wants it clean so badly, she can go and clean it herself! _Fallon had grumbled as she made her way to this open spot, a perfect place to climb onto the banisters in the open hallway near the dorms, where she had been brooding over the last half hour, tossing chunks of meat to her own Avian, the Raven named Sable. She was quite content to just sit there and watch her bird fly from one rocky perch to the next, admiring her brindled black and deep, deep purple feathers shining in the sunlight, but unfortunately, someone had found her, a youth dressed in red and black robes hardly older than she was, and found it amusing to pester her while she fumed over the unfairness of it all.

"What?" She asked, letting her sack of meat drop to the ground.

"I said, have you thought about asking the Headmaster about this?" He replied, shaking his black hair out of his eyes as he swung down from his perch and into the hallway.

"Not really…he isn't here is he? Didn't he go out on some mission or whatever?" Fallon replied, tossing the last of the meat to her Raven, who caught it and cawed happily before lifting her great wings and flapping to a rocky outcrop high above the school for a nap.

"Or whatever." He answered, "But I know where he is, so you could just write a letter explaining things to him and I'll send-"

"What do you think I've been _doing_ this whole summer?! Sitting on my butt and twiddling my thumbs until the school year began?" Fallon interrupted angrily, jumping back into the hallway herself. "I've sent dozens already, yet I haven't got a single answer back yet! If I have to-"

But something had cut _her_ off as well. The pair looked around worriedly as a rumble droned through the school, shaking dust off the roof.

"What was that?" Fallon inquired.

"Just a tremor. They happen a lot here. But the good news is, if we get a bigger one that causes a rockslide, the Headmaster will return and send out the Rockfall Squad to take care of it."

"Yeah, sounds great…" Fallon's voice trailed off as she gazed towards the trickle of water in the distance, a waterfall that, at this distance, looked like nothing bigger than a quiet stream winding its way down the valley walls.

"Well, I need to be heading off." The black haired boy said in his lyrical accent, taking care to flick Fallon gently on the nose as he passed. "You be nice to my hallway now."

"But this is the Soulforge Wing, just how does that make it you-" But he was already gone by the time she turned around.

"Boys are just too weird." She sighed, picking up her bag and shifting it on her shoulder as she walked to the hallway that led to her Balance classes. But as she turned the handle, something drew her back to lean the banister she had sat on, squinting towards the waterfall. A familiar tingle spread up and down her spine, numbing her hands and feet as she spotted a glint of light behind the water.

Spending half of her childhood growing up in Mooshu had its advantages, despite that during the time she was living there, the Dark Days of Mooshu was at its peak, the time where the Emperor of Mooshu had fallen ill thanks to the work of someone every person in the Spiral knew, who shook in fear at the mere mention of his name until it became a social taboo. The one good thing about living there though was that she had studied the earthquakes that shook the continent intently. She had learned from one of the greatest seismologist's there and, from pressing her ear against the ground, she fancied that she could almost hear what was going on beneath the soil and rocks while her mind buzzed with information of what could have been going on beneath the surface. It came as quite a surprise that she could feel the tremors here now, from this height, and that something wasn't quite right about them. Just as she had conjured up this thought, a brighter flash of light slammed against her eyes while an explosion trembled the whole school, as if it could sense fear. The blast tripped her and sent her flying until she hit the wall, knocking her out as her head connected with the unbending stone.

_Something's not right, something's not right. Wake up! _The thoughts raced through her mind, repeating themselves over and over until her eyelids fluttered open to see many shadows of Avians shooting overhead towards the blast zone. She stumbled to her feet, dropped her bag, and whistled for Sable, who promptly flew beneath the hallway for Fallon to leap onto her back and shot after the birds flying ahead of her.


	3. Chapter 2-The Bonding

HAWK Chapter Two

The Bonding of a Rider and her Avian

_ What in the world am I doing? _Fallon thought as Sable sped after the team clad in brown and gold armor. She silently cursed herself as she remembered she had dropped her bag when she tripped, the bag that just happened to have her Arcane staff in it.

_Next time, _She thought as she gripped Sable's bare back tighter with her knees. _Don't be in such a rush you forget to put on her saddle! _But at this point, the only thing she could do was sigh and get on with it, coming to a land on a rocky ledge that jutted out from the mountainside, where she had a perfect view of the developing situation. The wizards and witches riding the various hawks and eagles were blasting away the rockslide with bursts of icy blue or bright yellow magic, blowing them into smaller chunks so their birds were able to grasp them in their unnaturally gleaming talons to carry away into the river, depositing them in a widespread area so as not to clog the river. Upon closer inspection, and from being close enough to hear the clear chinks from their talons, she realized that they were wearing metal claws over them in addition to the protective armor over their heads, chests, and body, protecting them from the chunks of rock that went flying as they slashed.

"We've got a lot to learn Sable." Fallon said quietly as she admired their confidence, their sense of purpose as they cleared away the rubble, working in sync in such a flawless manner they hardly needed to communicate at all. Despite her admiration and desire to watch them work, something tugged at the edge of her consciousness, telling her that something wasn't right among the squad. She gave Sable a soft nudge with her heel to get her flying again and steered her towards the waterfall just as she saw a flash of wingtips disappear from the other side of the raging river. As if she sensed her Rider's urgency, Sable flattened her wings against her side and shot through the space between the falling water and the side of the cliff, veering to the right to avoid careening into the rock wall mere feet away. A clear, open canyon lay before them, its wide, sluggish greenish blue river curdling by to join the second river made by the waterfall, and in the distance, more mountainous peaks lay ahead, their jagged black tops cutting out pieces of the green forest landscape that lay behind them. With another nudge of the heel, the dusky black raven alighted on a pile of large, flat topped rocks jumbled near the top of the cliff. As she scanned the valley, Fallon began to wonder if the flash of wings was a part of her imagination; the view in the canyon was incredibly crisp and clear.

A trickle of small rocks bouncing down the valley's wall broke her out of her search, a screech of surprise bursting from her throat as a flurry of snow feathers obscured her vision. Adrenaline pulsed through her veins as Sable reared in fear, cawing madly as she leaped backward off the rocks into the air, the sound of talons clashing a deeper, coarser _kraw! _calls adding into the din.

"Just _what _do you think you're doing here, you little nooblet?" a male voice demanded, and once there was some distance between her and her attacker, Fallon couldn't hold back a gasp of shock.

_A White Raven…_

Red eyes glared at her own wide blue ones over a midnight black beak that still screeched angrily as it perched on the pile she had leaped from just a moment before. Seated on the pure white bird was an extremely annoyed looking teen, his violet eyes as dark as the twilight sky, his hair blowing in the fresh breeze the same shade as the Raven he rode.

"W-what?" Fallon stammered, shielding her eyes against the glare of his armor.

"I _said_, what are you doing here?" He snapped back. "Only members of the Rockfall Squad are allowed near the Fall Zone!"

"I..I saw someone! Someone was near the waterfall when the explosion occurred, and I know not many people flew back here afterwards! What if they-" She retorted, prickly indignation filling in for shock. The boy laughed in grim exasperation, shaking his head and muttering something under his breath in a foreign language.

"That was _me_, you idiot! _I _was the one scoping out the area like I was ordered to. There was only me back here. What, did you think I caused that explosion? Oh sure, I'll just go back in and turn in the dust of the pounds of TNT I'd need to cause an explosion like that, pounds that I'd never be able to carry or even get inside the school walls! Seriously, you think you can just come in here and start accusing…"

With every word he spoke in his rolling Dragonspyrian accent, the embarrassment and shame Fallon felt shrank her deeper and deeper in her skin. She ducked her head down to hide her reddening face. Sable's feathers seemed to wilt as if her shame seeped through from her Rider as he continued to rant, every now and then his Raven giving a little hop and a harsh caw down the canyon wall that forced her down the steep slope.

"…now get back to the school! I'm sure the professors would _love_ to hear why an unbonded, untrained Rider thought she could even be of any use here." As he spoke, his Raven shifted its weight on its feet before taking flight, careful to brush the edge of his long white feathers roughly against her cheek and the top of Sable's head in the same stroke before diving down to the river.

She didn't know how long she sat there, every pore in her body pricking uncomfortably, making it almost impossible to move from the weight of her rashness. But after Sable twisted her head around to click her beak softly, she sighed and nudged her Avian again to fly back towards the castle; another rumble shook a few pebbles from the wall and she didn't feel like being confronted by any other members from the Squad.

"Hey!" A voice called as Sable lifted into the air and flew low.

"Hurry up, I don't want to meet that jerk again!" Fallon whispered to the Raven, who screeched and jerked to the side in a sudden fit. A heartbeat later, Fallon understood why. Another shadow crossed her path as a different pile of large boulders was shaken loose, and bouncing straight towards her so fast she could only react with a shriek, squeezing her eyes shut and wrapping her arms tightly to the warm body of her Avian.

Instead of the crushing weight of the rock she had been expecting, a warm huff of breath reached her face, followed with a stirring of wings and gentle bird calls between Sable and…another Avian?

She carefully opened one eye a smidge, gasping as they flew open when she saw the grinning face of another teen her age.

"Hi there. You look like you could use some assistance." He smirked, and from the color of his eyes, she might've guessed he was the White Raven Rider had his hair not been the opposite color. He rode a stately and impressive Golden Eagle, larger than her own Raven and the warm color of freshly turned soil tinged with gold on the edge of its feathers, gently poking at Sable from his higher perch above; his massive wingspan had cast the shadow over them.

"Uh…uh…"

"I'll take that as a yes." He grinned a goofy grin. "Say, would you mind moving a bit to the right? This rock is kind of heavy."

"Um, sure…" Fallon murmured as the black Raven hopped back several feet from the spot where he and the eagle had been holding back the boulder with one hand and wings only.

"Anyhoo, you got a name?" He asked in a rather conversational manner as he watched the rock fall into the gorge with a crash.

"It's Fallon Star." She replied as the pair flew back to the school.

"Guess you're not part of the Rockfall Squad then."

"No, I thought I…" Her voice trailed off; she didn't want another person yelling at her for being so stupid. Thankfully, he didn't pursue the question.

"Well, what's yours anyway?" Fallon said as the two landed near the hallway she had taken off from.

"The name's Logan." He replied, laughing lightly.

His amusement didn't last long though. As their birds flew back to the Nest, the laughter died on his face as they caught sight of the person they'd been dreading the most: Professor Steelheart, her foot tapping impatiently and her gaze sending shivers up their spines as she held out two bucket and a mop.

"I still don't see why _I_ had to get dragged into this." Logan grumbled a couple of hours later as he scraped at a particularly hard patch of white spots on the wooden boards.

"Guilty by association I guess." Fallon sighed as she tossed the sodden rag into the bucket of dirty water, stretching out her arms and leaning against the sturdy pine tree, having just finished cleaning out one of the stone barriers in the Nest.

The Avian's Nest was the only place in all of Hawkrider's where the massive birds could congregate on the mountain ridges. Only two towers and several small shacks were the only shelters for humans up there, linked by wooden walkways and guarded rails. Everything else was completely natural, from the miles of scrub, bush, and caves, to the massive pines, cedars, and oaks on the lower south side of the ridges that had been enchanted by the most powerful of Theurgists to hold the Avian's weight, creating the most terrifying forest in a hundred mile radius: the Colossal Woods of the Southern Scree. They ruled the mountaintop as well as portions of the even larger mountain that had merged with the Nest's one, where one winding path led to a sprawling stone structure Fallon hadn't been to yet.

"Still not fair though." He groused, tossing down his mop with a heavy sigh and stretching his arms over his head.

"It's about as fair as you can get." Fallon smirked slightly as she dumped the dirty water down an empty ditch. She sighed and rubbed her back with one hand while trudging down to the small, rusty water pump for a refill, they were only halfway done scrubbing down the rails.

"I wonder what made Steelheart so docile though."

"Oh, didn't she tell you?" Logan asked, plucking at the downy feathers stuck to his school uniform, a black long sleeved shirt, sturdy brown elbow length gloves for when riding, with a dark brown vest and knee length boots with gold trimmings, as well as a black cloak that fell to the back of his shins. Fallon wore similar clothing, except girls had the option of choosing a skirt and black leggings as well, hers in black and lavender trimmings.

"Obviously not." Fallon rolled her eyes. 

"Man, she must have something against you. The Headmaster came back from his trip just a few hours ago and heard about your situation. You're supposed to head down to the Lab when we're done to get your Gem. Apparently the he sped up the paperwork so you can start participating in battle training. "

Fallon perked up at once. "Really?!"

"Really really."

"Hey, thanks Logan!" She promptly dropped the bucket in front of him and darted down to the pathway leading into the school before he could object, but she could still hear his confused shouts as she yanked open a door and raced as fast as she could towards her dream.

"I know ye already paid for yer tuition Fallon Star, but are you sure you want to go forward?" Headmaster Ashforge, a thick, burly man, asked solemnly in his Scottish-like accent as he carried two small boxes to her and Sable as the sky turned orange from the setting sun. "Once ye become bonded with your Avian, there's no going back."

"Why not? I mean, I don't plan to at all, never, but…why?" Fallon stammered as he opened the lid to the smaller box to show her. Inside on a red velvet cushion lay a perfectly cut quartz Gem, gleaming in the light of the long, cylindrical tank that doubled as a support beam in the middle of the Laboratory.

"Because of this." He gestured to the tank, completely blacked out by solid steel except for some kind of viewing port cut into a rectangular shape. Her mouth opened in a silent gasp as she gazed into the tube, riveted to the spot by the breathtaking sight of the blowing silver and white winds circulating before her. They shone with an enchantment, a brilliancy that could only mean it was some kind of magic. Sparkling dust shimmered in the winds that seemed to come out of nowhere, and left for nowhere. It was a window, a window into a whole other world.

"What is this?" She gasped.

"This is the magic that bonds Rider and Avian, that strengthens your own school of focus and increases the physical attributes depending on where your talents lay; speed, agility, power, stealth…" Ashforge explained, the light dancing in his deep brown eyes. "The Stardust Magic."

"Wow…" Fallon breathed. It was absolutely gorgeous to watch the swirls and patterns blow freely, as if they were wild and chaotic yet, at the same time, seemed to emit a steady sense of purpose.

"This is but one of the many streams of pure magic flowing through the Spiral, the remnants of Bartleby's Song of Life. Unlike the normal magic streams, this one cannot be passed on through birth like the other schools of magic. Rather, it has to be harnessed in order to use it."

"That's why we made the Gems." Amy added, straightening out her oval glasses. "This magic is so strong, so pure and undiluted, it would kill anyone within minutes. The Gems we produce are basically toned down genetic material of the stream that have been altered slightly combined with the common streams of magic, such as the Elemental and Spiritual, as well as Balance."

Fallon's head was beginning to spin as Amy spoke, the first flutter of panic erupting in her stomach.

"Aye, and it's for this reason why we have such strict requirements, and accept only the most resolute of students." Ashforge said, quickly turning grim. "You see, she's a tricky little thing, very demanding like a spoiled child. But given the incredible magic we can harness, it's such a small price to pay, at least for the next few decades. To most people anyway…"

"What? What can't I do?" Fallon asked, butterflies erupting in her stomach. The expression on Amy's face turned sad as she whispered.

"You see, there's a slight problem with the way Gems are made, and no one has ever found a way to counteract it. Until then, if at all, there's no way the two streams of magic could ever become compatible with one another."

"You're winding me up." Fallon sighed as Sable twitched her wings, as if in agreement.

"Oh, sorry." Amy blushed. "Erm, anyway…because we have to fuse your DNA and the DNA of the stream together, we have to alter the Gem slightly for the changes between males and females because of the differences between the two genders. That 'altercation' I mentioned earlier?"

Fallon nodded.

"That's the problem. The difference between the two means males and females can't bond to one another. They can't fall in love. You can't date or get married or have kids-"

"I think she gets it lassie." Ashforge coughed. "So…I'll ask you one more time: Are you prepared to give up your life, your soul, for the sake of your dreams, for the sake of a Master who will ask you to die for them if necessary?"

Fallon turned to her Avian and gently patted her beak, gazing into the beetle black eyes as if she were asking _What do you think? _She smiled as Sable gently knocked her beak against Fallon's head, like she was chiding her for even asking such a question. She turned back to him and gave him the same answer she had given that past spring.

"We're ready."


	4. Chapter 3- The Raven Riders

HAWK Chapter Three

The Raven Riders

Rain lashed through the whispering leaves of the shuddering branches as the squall raged on, drenching the weary Agate class students and blowing them off-course slightly as they continued on their night patrol of the school's boundaries. Yet even in the middle of the storm, the leaf-strewn ground on the side of the immense mountain remained mostly dry, save for patches in the canopy top here and there. Lightening flashed through the bare spots, illuminating the ghostly feathers of the White Raven as it pulled its beak out from under its wing to snap at the Avian next to it, who twitched and chirped in its fever-induced sleep as if it were having a bad dream.

Farther down the mountain, her Rider lay in the same uncomfortable state at the top of one of the short towers, tossing and turning as the fever heated her body up.

"How is she?" Amber asked as Fallon burrowed into her blankets, shivering even though her skin was abnormally warm.

"No change yet." Izzy replied, sponging her hot forehead while Jazz added fresh ice to the bucket and pressed the back of her hand to Fallon's forehead to gauge her temperature.

"If this keeps up, the fever won't break until tomorrow. Are you sure we can't-"

"You know the rules. We can't help her through the transition. She's got to make it through this herself" Izzy interrupted. "Her _and_ her Avian…"

While her friends whispered over her heated body, Fallon was miles away, locked in an endless cycle of dreams induced by the fever.

_What do you want? What do you want? _Her dream self asked as she squirmed in discomfort. Too many faces swam before her eyes, too many places of worlds she'd never seen filled her mind. _Who are you? _One face in particular kept her mind reeling as she ran and ran, swimming in and out of view as she reached for the pale extended hand, but it only faded away to smoke as she touched the cool skin.

"Wait…" She grumbled in her sleep as the heat intensified, surrounding her in hot blue flames until she was sure her body was charred to ashes. Then, as quickly as the heat started, a deliciously cool sensation washed over her, bringing the familiar smell of sea salt. Her eyes opened to the barest of slits, expecting to see fire all around her, but immediately flew open as deep, yet clear blue water flooded her eyesight. A tropical reef lay below her as far as her eyes could see, an underwater metropolis bathed in the light of a full moon, where the waves lapped lazily as the sandy shore behind her in a soothing rhythm. The moonlight had bleached the colors from the reef, yet it was still full of nocturnal fish as she kicked off with joy and swam over the corals.

Confusion slowly filtered through her delight as she swam on, wondering how in the world she got to the middle of the ocean from her tranquil dorm room, or why she was able to breathe underwater. Fallon had never been to the famous Water-Breathing device in Celestia, nor did she know how to make a water-breathing potion. As she thought these thoughts, a bright light interrupted her thinking, temporarily blinding her. Nearly twelve feet below on the sandy bottom lay an object cloaked in white-blue light, as if one of the gleaming stars fell loose from the velvety black sky above. She squinted as the light grew brighter and brighter as she swam closer, glimpsing a bright object among the light before it enveloped er completely- waking her up with a gasp.

_A dream…_Fallon thought, brushing the cold sweat off her forehead. _Just a dream…_

She pushed herself off her green futon bed and trudged to the windowseat, rubbing the side of her throbbing head. Pearly gray clouds had massed overnight and drenched the mountainside, leeching the brightness from the castle's walls and, from her spot in the tower, she could almost imagine the faint black tips of the city's skyline that was now dull and lifeless, the brilliant gold now a dirty brown.

"It's about time you're awake." A voice said from behind. Izzy was sitting on a tan chair next to Jazz's bed, flipping through a fashion magazine.

"Where is everyone?" Fallon croaked, tenderly rubbing her throat just above her new Gem. The fiery sensation under her choker had faded away, at least on the outside.

"Classes." Izzy replied as she handed Fallon a glass of water. "Our Head Nurse said I was excused for today while you were recovering from the transition."

"Thanks." She muttered, eagerly gulping down another glass as she sank back onto her bed. "I don't have to start today do I?"

"Nah, you've got all day to rest. You just need to do a bit of makeup work for some of the classes you missed; Mastering Balance, Survival Techniques, the theory part of Aerial Battles…" She gestured to the stack of books on the steamer trunk next to her bed. "School ends a little after four anyway, and it's already three-thirty in the afternoon."

"Oh good." Fallon sighed. Even her short trip to the window had exhausted her.

"How's Sable? She isn't sick from the rain is she?" She asked ten minutes later as she drowsed in bed, gently scratching Sandy's ears as she jumped onto her side and purred.

"She's doing fine too. All the Avians take shelter in the Colossal Forest when it storms. I've heard rumors that side from the river at the bottom of the gorge, nearly every tree is practically bone dry from the massive leaves."

"That's good." Fallon yawned, mustering up enough energy to crack open one of her books, then almost immediately fainted from the notebook with her assignments written down in it.

"Why me?" She moaned as her eyes barely took in the paragraph long homework assignment from none other than Steelheart herself, the Balance Professor. _Leave it to _her_ to make me write three whole pages on the history of Balance when trying to recover from a potentially life-threatening fever…_

_The next day…_

"So how do you feel? Any dizziness or sickness?" Nurse Joy Featherheart asked as she checked the thermometer in Fallon's mouth.

"No, I'm good. As good as someone can get in the stupid hours of the morning with a headache." The thermometer almost fell out of her yawning mouth as she spoke.

"Guess you're back to normal." Amber laughed, tugging the glass tube out of her mouth before it could fall and shooing her out the door. "Here's your schedule for this semester, you can look it over at breakfast."

She took the slip of parchment bearing the details of her class schedule, trailing behind Amber down the steps as she memorized it.

To Fallon Star (Master Sorceress):

Breakfast is served at 7 am weekdays and 8:30 am weekends.

Mastering Balance-7:45 am-8:45 am.

Fine Arts/Ballroom Dancing- 8:50 am-9:45 am

Health and Fitness- 9:50 am-10:45 am

Lunch: 10:50 am-11:50 am

Aerial Training: 12 pm-1:45pm

Survival Techniques: 2:45 pm-3:45 pm (Showers and baths or Avian care available after Aerial Training.)

Stealth and Weaponry: 3:50 pm-4:15pm

Saturdays and Sundays are free days. Students may visit and eat lunch/dinner in Rosewind City provided they are back by 10 pm. NO EXCEPTIONS!

Sincerely,

Abigail Steelheart, Professor of Balance

"Oh wow…I'll probably be so sore I won't be able to move until next week." She mumbled, her fingers slackening at the thought of so many difficult classes sunk in.

"Relax, it's only Aerial Training and Fitness when you need to do any exercise, everything else can be done in the classroom. Unless we need a field trip…"

"Still…" Fallon sighed, tucking away her schedule into her shoulder bag before rounding the corner-ramming straight into something solid and warm with an _Oof! _

"Hey watch where you're going!" Fallon yelled, rubbing her nose with one hand and jabbing her finger into the chest of none other than…

"Oww, not so hard." Logan grumbled, rubbing the spot where she poked him. "Maybe _you_ should watch where you're going." He returned the favor by poking her in the shoulder.

"_You_ should you big buffoon!" Fallon growled, drawing herself up to her full height poking him back.

"_I'm_ not the one who goes around with their nose stuck to paper." Poke.

"And _I'm_ not the one who looks over their shoulder all the time." Double pokes.

"HEY now, let's not start anything. I'm sure we're all just hungry." Amber said, pushing a hand between the two before an all out poke war began.

"He started it." Fallon grumbled, hitching up her bag and stalking off with her nose in the air.

"Whatever. See ya around short stuff." Logan sighed, waving without turning back as he ascended the stairs to the second floor, meaning he didn't see Fallon blow a raspberry at him just as he disappeared.

"What was that about?" Amber asked later as they grabbed some plates in the cafeteria.

"That's what happens when you bug me this early." Fallon grumbled, jabbing at her scrambled eggs as she scooped them onto her plate. Breakfast couldn't last long enough; soon she was grabbing her bag and pushing open the heavy wooden door to the Balance classroom on the first floor, a classroom that looked more like a lecture hall than anything. She trudged down to the back row to find a seat, edging between the Sorcerers joking and laughing around, tossing paper balls in every direction.

"Good morning class." came Professor Steelheart's hard voice. Everyone ceased playing around immediately and shuffled to their seats.

"Now that we're _all_ here for once…" She threw a hard glare towards Fallon and a couple of other students who shifted nervously in their seats. "We can start on the more practical lessons of Balance, so everyone leave your essays on your desk and follow me to the Arena."

Despite her off-putting attitude, the Sorcerers and Sorceresses' eyes grew bright at the thought of getting out of the stuffy classroom, eagerly jumping to their feet and resuming their chattering as they wound their way to the massive stadium. Their spirits brightened even more as the sun shone fitfully through the blanket of clouds, the mass of stone gray now moving towards the city. On the far side of the Arena, between the massive stone columns, Fallon recognized Faolan, Professor Faolan, she soon learned, waving to them with a group of Pyromancers. She huffed in annoyance as she saw Logan with them, returning her favor by blowing a raspberry with a face.

"Since there are some of you who bonded late, you'll have to sit this lesson out until you read the first few chapters on Non-Circle Dueling. Everyone else, split into pairs and practice casting wand attacks, Scarab, and Scorpion. If I see anyone else using a higher ranked spell than that, you'll land yourself in detention for a week." Steelheart said from a raised dais, folding her arms. "And while you're at it, let's make this a Wing Battle. A little flying practice won't hurt, and I've called a couple of students to show you how its done."

Fallon and three other Sorceresses trudged their way up to the stands, sighing faintly as the rest of the students eagerly paired up with their friends and waved one glowing hand, causing the feather on their chokers to flash in various colors before feathery wings formed from their backs, the second precious tool a Rider needed.

"Hey, don't worry about it. You'll be flying by tomorrow." Dorothy said, clapping her shoulder as she passed by on golden wings tipped with white.

"That's _tomorrow _though." Fallon grinned as her heart gave a dull ache. However much she enjoyed studying geology and such, she knew where she _truly_ belonged. She shook her head slightly to clear away her jealous feelings, and scooted over to the left to get a clearer view of Dorothy as she matched up against a nervous looking girl with white Seraph wings.

"Don't worry, I won't blast you out of the sky with Power Nova or anything." Dorothy giggled. The girl, a Sorceress named Sarah Lilypetal, nodded, but didn't look all too assured as she braced herself and raised her katana.

Quick as a flash, Dorothy darted forward, her golden sword flashing in the dull light as Sarah raised her own sword to block the blow. From the way she skidded to the end of the column, it was powerful, even without the use of higher ranked spells.

"Not bad." Dorothy said as she leaped back into the air. "You might want to work on digging in your heels though." Sarah slashed her sword through the air, sand whirling around the blade to form a brown, shiny carapace of a Scarab, who screeched and clicked its pincers as it dove for Dorothy. She easily sliced through the sturdy body, dissolving it back into sand particles that blew in the wind. She then put on a burst of speed to strike Dorothy, clashing their swords together in a contest of pure strength.

"Focus Miss Lilypetal!" Professor Steelheart called as she paced the podium, and the split second distraction was all Dorothy needed to push Sarah back several pillars, almost sending her over the edge. After a brief second with Dorothy's sword pointed at her chest, she sheathed the shining blade and offered to help her up, exchanging a few words before they switched partners.

As fun as it is watching Winged Battles, flying in the thick of the action would've cheered Fallon up after several hard stares from the professor shrank her several inches under her skin.

_Still, it's nice to wait a day…I'm still not myself yet. _She yawned, rubbing a sore shoulder that ached even though nothing had bruised her there.

"Pay attention Star! Just because you're not flying it doesn't mean you can doze off to dream land!" Steelheart snapped, sending her a few inches into the air with shock. She spent the next half hour scribbling down notes and drawing small diagrams like the three others next to her in the stands, resolutely facing the Arena even though she could practically feel the steely eyes burning straight through her.

"I thought you said this would be fun." Fallon grumbled, falling back over the brown bench in the luscious courtyard. An open lunch box lay beside her, but with her pounding head, sore muscle spots here and there, and shaky feet, she could only muster up enough energy to take a sip of her juice.

"I'm fure when you'fe wecowered fom your tranfition completely, fings will get better." Jazz said from behind her mouthful of sandwhich while Amber nodded, then chided her sister for being so rude.

"If I ever get the chance to." Fallon sighed, closing her eyes. She may have missed out on Winged Battles and Aerial Training next, but the dancing classes she just spent twirling in high heels made up for the physical challenge.

_Spending so much time in heels that pinch your feet should be illegal here. Why do we even need to learn that stuff anyway? _She thought to herself, opening her eyes as the sounds of jostling and chanting caught her attention.

_Of course…_Fallon mused to herself as she recognized Logan, who had the snowy haired boy of the White Raven, of all people, trapped in a headlock while a blonde haired boy in the background eagerly ran up a commentary to the laughing crowd.

"And it's Logan for the win!" He clapped to the crowd as he counted down the seconds that the boy was on the ground. The two of them laughed and pushed themselves to their feet, playfully punching one another for another round. But as Fallon and Jazz joined the crowd, the joking came to an abrupt stop as a figure cloaked in black stopped in the middle of the arched, open air hallway, strands of curled golden hair blowing in the breeze before Professor Noir moved on, the crowd of kids breaking up in earnest as Steelheart walked by in the opposite direction. She threw one of her famous glances over her shoulder before Noir passed by. Fallon turned away from the dispersing crowd and frowned at Logan as he passed b, grinning as he messed up her already tangled hair as the bell rang to signal the end of Grandmaster classes. She flinched moments later as Steelheart cast a glance back, but she hadn't noticed Fallon at all. She sighed a sigh of relief.

"She gets you too huh?" A voice in a rolling accent asked from behind. It was the white haired boy, now leaning casually against the smaller tree in the grassy courtyard.

"Yeah." Fallon replied, taken aback by his calm demeanor.

"Eh, you get used to it. She does that to every Raven Rider that passes through Hawkrider's Academy." He said.

"Really? Why? What's she got against them?" Amber asked from over Fallon's shoulder.

"You haven't heard" The two girls shook their heads.

"Well, I guess it started after the last attack on the school." The boy, who introduced himself as Ivan, said nonchalantly.

"There was an attack?" Jazz, who zoomed over, Amber, and Fallon gasped at the same time while Cheyenne followed more slowly.

Ivan's eyes brightened and perked up immediately at the sudden attention of all the girls.

"About ten years ago, a rogue group of former Hawkrider's students betrayed the school and attacked, hoping they would steal ancient relics stored somewhere in the castle. They were all Raven Riders, and many were Necromancers."

"What happened next?" Fallon inquired, her curiosity piquing.

"Well, about three years ago, they attacked the school again, and Professor Steelheart was almost killed in the attack. Guess it left a bitter taste afterward." He waved a goodbye to the four girls and loped off to his next class.

"Wow…" Amber whispered several minutes later.

"That was deep stuff bro." Jazz remarked.

"No wonder she doesn't like me." Fallon mumbled, rooted to the spot. "Still…that doesn't mean _we're_ going to end the same way."

"Yeah, what does she think is going to happen?" Amber scoffed. "That we're going to betray her?"

Several miles away, in the thick of the golden city, a strong, blustery wind bunched the ominous clouds onto the horizon, one of the last of the summer season. The streets resumed their hustle and bustle as café and various shop owners opened their outdoor patios and shook out tablecloths that instantly dried the tables they were placed on.

"Here you are sir." A waiter said as he placed a drink next to the black laptop of a young man outside an Internet café. He nodded his thanks and slowly drained his mug, his eyes beginning to glaze as he studied the business charts mapping themselves out to show predicted in future profits as the sun sank lower in the sky.

Finally, with a wide yawn, he pushed up the sleeves of his crisp white shirt and straightened his tie, snapping his laptop shut and placing a couple of gold pieces on the table. He swung his jacket over his shoulder as he walked down several blocks into the city, adjusting his shoulder strap. His path carried him past the Grand Teleporter Station, past tall office buildings, malls, and libraries that glowed in the afternoon sun. He half smiled as he sauntered past a ritzy store with its own café, where girls dressed in silken robes and shining armor fixed with wings in all shapes and colors giggled madly as he waved. He seemed to have caught the eye of one girl dressed in a black and blue Coat of Invincibility; she grinned back and winked at him before he turned the corner briskly and crossed the street to the tallest building in Rosewind. As much as he enjoyed the attention, there was no time for flirting. He was almost late for the meeting of a lifetime.

His heels tapped against the white and black tiled floor of the office building as he picked up the pace, pulling out a black card to insert into the card machine in the dark elevator. He nodded to another woman as she darted into the elevator at the last second and scanned another card like his as well.

"Afternoon Aiden." She smiled. "You on your way to the meeting?"

"Mmhmm. The big one, that is. If I do well…"

"I know you will. Good luck." She tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear and gave him an encouraging smile before she exited on her floor, a massive computer room.

The elevator finally came to a halt on the bottom floor, a surprisingly bright room filled with blue and white light. Fountains gushed on either side of a wide chrome desk, where the gold emblem of an intricate calligraphic N twined with the Death and Ice symbols above the attendant's head. He placed his card on the desk to I.D himself, and the attendant nodded after he scanned the card and his left eye.

"You're clear Aiden." He said, handing the card back. "Good luck with the meeting. For the new Golden Era."

Aiden nodded, repeating his words with equal pride. "The Golden Era."


End file.
